Motorcycle



April 15, 1 941.

M. W. ANTI-HQINY wowoacwus'nm Filed July 22, 1958' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOR N EYS Patented Apr. 15, 1941 MOTORCYCLE v Mark w. Anthony, Tyler, Tex. Y Application July 22, 1933, Serial at. 220,790

3 Claims.

This invention relates tof power means and more particularly to such .;for driving motorcycles.

The invention has for its principal object to produce a simple compact and light-weight power unit, self-contained in character and which may be installed practically and with high emciency in a. motorcycle assembly.

A particular object is to coordinate in a selfcontained unit the severalmotor starting, power transmission, lubricating and breather elements and to utilize some of the same elements in performing these several functions so as to mini mice and greatly reduce a number of parts as compared tothe provision heretofore made for performing the respective functions.

other objects and advantages to be attained Will hereinafter more fully appear.

penings provided therefor in opposed fly wheel members 22. I

The shaft 22 of one of the fly wheel members 22 is iournaled in a roller bearing 24 provided therefor in the adjacent wall portion of the casin section Ii, while the shaft 25 of the opposite fly wheel member is journaled in a roller bearing which meshes with a iarser sear 22 keyed on The invention consists in the novel general structure and assembly, and in the particular parts and combinations and arrangements of parts thereof, as hereafter described and set iorth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention, and in which theme 1 is a view principally in side elevation witha near side wall section removed to expose particular gear elements; V j

hiuure 2 is a cross-sectional view; and

Fleur-e 3 is a view illustrating details of a part at thcmotor starting means.

heterring now,to the drawings, the numeral it designates generally the casing which houses the crank and fly wheel elements, primary drivin gears; and the transmission gearing. As shown, the casing comprises two separable sec-' tions it and i2 and it is divided into two separate the end portion of a transmissicn shaft 22, said I gears 21 and 22 constituting the primary sears. As shown, the transmission shaft" is journaled near the gear 22 in a roller bearing 22 provided in-the adjacent wall portion of the cas ing section-l2, said shaftextendins through the bore in a tubular spline shaft 2i.

. Normally, said transmission shaft 2! and spline shaft 2! are connected by a clutch device so as to rotatethe one by and with the other. As shown in Figure 2, the clutch comprises a circular plate 22 which is riveted or otherwise secured to a collar I2 provided on the outer end of the spline shaft It, said plate 32 having a cylindrical drum 24 attached to its outer face near its periphery. Keyed on the outer end portion of the transmission shaft 29, in opposed relation to the collar 22 on the spline shait It, is a hub member as which carries a supportingplate at. This plate a is formed with an inwardly offset central portion 2 which is provided circumferentially with longitudinal keyways II to receive corresponding lugs provided about the sentral open ing of a spring-pressed lamping plate 22. Said plate "is formedwith an outwardiy 'oflset can,

tral portion ll on the circumference of which keyways it are formed similar to themeyways II. on the supporting plate 22 and in-slidable key engagement therewith an in l2 which is rotatable with the me 1 but permitted independent endwise movement therbon.

Figure 1., this cylinder being of the conventional ah-cooled'type.

The power cylinder i1 communicates at its inher end directly with the chamber 12, its piston it heing connected by the pitmanis, which letter is in turn connected to the crank element-2d Interposed between the supporting plate '22 and said intermediate ring member 42 is-a clutch ring which is provided on its opposite faces with friction rings 44 of suitable material. and a simi lar ring 42' being interposed between said;inter-. mediate ringf42 and clamping ring. 38, by which provision ample frictional contacti's established between the parts to effect a driving connection between the two shafts 29 and II when said clamping plate 22 is urzedtowards the plate '22.

-or high speed.

by the spring elements 45, of which latter there is a plurality sleeved on supporting studs 48 between said ring member and retaining nuts provided on the inner ends of said studs, the studs being inserted through apertures provided therefor in the supporting plate 36 and extending through aligned apertures provided in the offset central portion 40 of said plate 39.

For disengaging 'the clutch elements to permit independent rotation of the transmission shaft 29 and the spline shaft 3i, the shaft 29 is provided with an axial bore through which a rod M extends, said rod being attached at its outer end to a spider frame 38, as at 49. Said spider frame W is provided at its marginal portions with inwardly extending right-angular legs '50 which work through apertures provided therefor in the supporting plate 38 with their inner ends abutting the outwardly ofiset central portion to of the clamping plate 39, by which provision, when the rod d'l is moved longitudinally in the direction towards its opposite end, the clamping plate as is moved in the direction away from the plate 35 so that the respective clutch elements are relieved of their braking effect. At the end of the rod ill opposite to that on which the spider frame do is mounted, an anti-friction thrust collar at is provided, said collar abutting a retaining head 52 formed integrally or otherwise provided on the end of the rod. cooperatively opposed to the thrust collar 59 is a lever member 53 mounted on a shaft which is obviously extended to a convenient position (not shown) within reach of an operator. As shown, this lever member as and thrust collar 55 on the shaft M are located within a chamber 55 provided in a lateral extension 55 of the end closure it of the casing section iii.

The variable speed gearing of the transmission mechanism will now be described. As shown, a gear 571 is sleeved to rotate freely on the tubular spline shaft 3i, said gear 5?! having an elongated hub portion 58 which is rotatably mounted adjacent its body portion in a roller bearing 59 located in the adjacent wall portion of the casing section ll, said hub portion 58 extending outside of the casing and terminating near the clutch plate 32 on the tubular spline shaft 3!. Keyed on the hub portion 58 is sprocket wheel Gil which, in practice, is connected by the usual driving chain (not shown) to the driven sprocket wheel which is regularly applied to the driving ground wheel of the motorcycle.

Keyed to slide longitudinally in the grooves M of the spline shaft 3!, but rotatable with the shaft, is a double gear element 65 having a toothed circumferential portion 52 of a given diameter and another similarly toothed portion 63 of smaller diameter, said element being provided with an annular groove for the engagement of a shifter fork, a portion of which latter is shown conventionally, as at 64, in Figure 2 of the drawings, said fork, in practice, being obviously actuated by a gear shift lever (not shown). As shown, the shiftable double gear element is provided at one end with a plurality of clutch teeth to engage similar teeth 68 on the adjacent end of the gear 5'I whereby the gear 51 is rotated directly withthe spline shaft 3|, at which time and with the hereinbefore described clutch elements between the shafts and 3| engaged, the vehicle is driven at third For driving the gear 51 at first or low speed and at second or intermediate speed, a counter-shaft 61 is provided, said shaft 81 having a cylindrical enlargement 68 at oneend which is fitted in an opening provided therefor in the adjacent wall portion of the casing section II, the opposite end portion of the shaft being reduced, as at 69, and fitted in an openin provided in the adjacent wall portion of the easing section H where it is held fast by a nut 10 provided on a further reduced and screw-threaded portion of the shaft whereby to engage the outer face of the wall casing and draw an enlargement ll of the shaft tight against the inner face of the wall.

Rotatable on roller bearings 12 and i3, respectively, provided on the shaft portions 68 and H, is a triple idler gear having a toothed circumferential portion it constantly in mesh with the gear 51 on the spline shaft 3|, said triple gear having an intermediate toothed portion 115 of a diameter greater than the portion 74 and adapted to receive the gear portion 82 in mesh therewith when the double gear element on the spline shaft is moved in one direction, and another portion of still larger diameter which is toothed, as at it, to receive the gear portion 63 in mesh therewith when said double gear is moved in the opposite direction on the splineshaft, said engaged'gear portions 63 and is giving the low or first speed drive to the gear 5? and the engaged gears 62 and 715 the intermediate or second speed.

For starting the motor, which may be'of any desirable or approved internal combustion type and as designated generally by the-I numeral ii in Figure 1 of the drawings, wherein the cylinder of the engine is illustrated more or less conventionally, are included the structural arrange-. ments and operations of ing the primary driving gears 2i and 28 as althe parts to and includready generally described. As further illustrated, more or less conventionally, the fuel intake and exhaust valve rods l! and ii, are respectively actuated by tappets l8 and '58, which latter work in the usual guides 39 and it provided therefor on the casing W, said tappets being actuated alternately by opposed crank arms 80 and 80; which are pivotally mounted within the casing m, .as at BI, and having rollers at their free ends which are held in engagement with and operated by a cam extension 82 provided on the transmission shaft 29 and working in a chamber 83 formed in the adjacent wall portion l2 of the casing and communicating with the portion of the chamber IS in which the primary gear 28 is located.

As shown, the hub portion of the gear 28 is formed with a tapered recess in its outer end, said recess being provided with an annular series of ratchet teeth 86 for engagement with a coun- 1 are integrally connected at their inner ends by an offset including segmental end portions whose peripheral portions are formed integrally with a semi-cylindrical connecting body 9|. The offset portions 90 and 9! of the starter shaft work in thefchamber 55 in which the clutch release lever.- 53 is located, said parts 80 and 9! being spaced to afford ample clearance for the operation of the lever 53 and corresponding endwise movement of the thrust collar 5i and the clutch release rod 41. However, the opposite edge portions oi th i oi the semi-cylindrical oiiset part II alternately spasms engage the opposite sides of said clutch release lever ll whereby to limit the rotative movement of the starter shaft to substantially one-half turn or through the angle of 180. The outer end of the shaft portion I8 is formed square ssst II, for the reception of a pedal crank it which lat-- ter is'normaliy directed upwardly andin which position the offset portion ll of the starter shaft is positioned under the clutch reiease'le'ver it, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Normally, the clutch member I8 is held out of engagement with the teeth I on the primary driving gear 28 by a throw-out pin it which is disposed diagonally, in the casing closure it with its inner end engaged inan annular groove ll provided in the clutch member I. This groove has a widened portion so that after the shaft .1 has been rotated through an angle of a few degrees the clutch member II is free to endwise movement on the shaft towards the gear ll under the pressure of a spring element I which is interposed between the outer end of said clutch member and an opposed shoulder provided on the starter shaft 81. In this connection, it is noted that the arrangement of the groove SI of the clutch member It with relation to the throw-out pin M is such that the clutch member is disengaged from the gear 28 when the pedal crank is in either its normal upstanding position or afterit has been operated and is in its'vertical pendant position below the starter shaft. The throw-out pin, therefore, is effective for the positivedisengagement oi the clutch member from the gear 20 only when the Pedal crank I; is at the limit of its stroke in either direction, the widened portion of the slot ll being arranged so that the clutch member II is engaged with the teeth 84 of the gear zl whereby the gear is rotated under the force applied to the starterahaft II, the obvious ratchet form of the teeth I4 and II being such that the gear 28 may continue its rotation when the rotation .of the starter shaft is A r spiral spring element I3 is for yieldbushing being secured in placeand held againstrotatlon by screw elements it which are insert, ed through apertures provided therefor in the annular flange portion of the bushing and into aligned screw-threaded openings formed in the.

adjacent portion ofthe. casing wall. At outer endol the shaft member 28 is a reduced axial extension III which is projected through a correspondingly reduced'boreprovided in the bushing W, said extension I having a flattened face lei adjacent its outer end whichis en'gsled by the roller ll! usually provided at the free end of a spring-pressed pivotal arm in forming part ignition" timing device III which is conventionally shownin Figure 2. In this connection it is noted that the timi g-device m, r itself, does not const tute any of the present invention except as it...ente'rs generallyinto the operative structure. sumce it to say the device bringabouttheignitionofthefuelchargeinthe power cylinder II at the proper time. a

An important feature of the D e m: invention is the provision of breather or crank case relief means whereby gases resulting from fuel combustion within the cylinder II and which may possibly get by the. piston rings and enter the crank case areelfcctively discharged from the casing on the down or firing stroke of the piston. For this purpose, the shaft member II is bored axially from its inner end. as at I, the outer end ofthe bore terminating in a lateral port Ill,

which latter is brought into registration with a' end to the exhaust opening fl and lead therefrom to a remote point for the safe discharge of noxious gases taken from the crank case. For the effective operation of the breather means, the port Ill in the crank shaft member 23' and the port "I in the bushing 9| are relatively arranged so that the port "8 moves out of registration and communication with the port lil'i when the piston moves upwardly in the power cylinder i1 and remains closed until the piston starts on its downward stroke. By this provision a partial vacuum is created in both the crank and fly wheel chamber l3 and also in the transmission chamber the partial vacuum being changed to a compressive effect after the piston has started down and until the port I" has again moved into registration and communication with the port I". In this way, not only is there. ample exit for the gases in the crank and fly wheel chamber l3 whereby the engine runs smooth and clean, but the alternating vacuum and compression eilect in the transmission chamber ll facilitates the circulation of the oil throughout the lubricating system which will now be described.

As shown more clearly in Figure l, the crank 4 and flywheel chamber ii is defined by a cylindrical wall III which extends from the region of the end wall ill of the casing II where the power cylinder I1 is attached, said cylindrical wall ill terminating short of the top wall N2 of the casing ll so that a restricted transverse passageway III is provided between said chamber ii and the upper portion of the'transmission chamber 14. While the chamber I} is substantially closed throughout its extent except where the transverse passageway III is provided, the

transmission chamber I4 is open to full commission gears in the chamber ll, so that said gears do not normally rotate immersed in the main body of oil in thereservoir l H, but receive their lubricant in the manner which will presently morefuiiy'appear. i

The chamber her before identified as the primary gear chamber. generally by the numeral II, is divided into a restricted portion ill which communicates with a larger portion H8, communication between said portions Ill and lit being bad in the region where the two gears it III is arranged and ndented for adiustment ,to 75 and 2| travel in mesh with each other, as

'ing I8.

Inasmuch as the two gears 28 and 2! are of the same width, which is slightly less than the width of the gear chamber i5, and the toothed peripheral portions of said gears each travel close to the cylindrical wall portion of its particular sub-chamber ill or H8, as the case may be, a rotary pump effect is attained whereby oil entering the sub-chamber H8 through a restricted tube I from the adjacent lower portion of the reservoir l N, is carried by the toothed peripheral portion of the gear 28 to the corresponding portion of the gear 2? on the crank shaft member 25, considerable pressure being produced in the chamber i5, and the excess pressure being relieved through a relief valve i2l having a return pipe connection Hi2 leading into the upper portion of the transmission chamber M. The relief valve 828 may be of any desirable type, but, as shown, it is of the spring-pressed ball check type and communicates with the upper portion of the passageway H9 between the two chamber portions ii'i and M8, as at E23.

Extending diagonally through the closur member it of the chamber i5 is a restricted passageway i24i through which communication is established between portion ill of the chamber 55 adjacent the outer side of the gear 27 and a space 425 at the bottom of a bearing provided in the closure member is for the outer end portioni2i$ of the hereinbefore described crank shaft member 25. i

The shaft member is provided with a restricted axial bore l 2? communicating at its outer end directly with the space H5 and having an angular port lit at its inner end registering constantly in communication with a passageway i2?) in the adjacent fly wheel member 22, said passageway H8 being in turn constantly in communication with a diagonal passageway 580 provided in the crank member 28.

As shown, passageway I30 in the crank member 28 discharges directly into the roller bearing 2! so that said bearing is thoroughly lubricated, the excess oil being thrown oil by centrifugal force due to the rotation ofthe crank, including the fly wheels 22, and thereby carried around the interior peripheral portion of the chamber i3 and thence directed through the transverse passageway M3 to the upper portion of the transmission chamber id.

The. casing lflis provided with a sub-chamber the oil to be carried on the gear 28 in ample quan-' tity to the gear 21. It is thus apparent that not only is an effective oil pumping action attained by the particular arrangement and correlation of the gears 21 and 28 but the general system is such that all the gears and moving parts requiring lubrication are automatically supplied with oil. While the essential parts are thus lubricated, the several bearings are obviously made leak-tight so as to retain the oil within the casing to, and to prevent the clutch elements between the main transmission shaft 29 and tubular spline shaft 3| frombecoming afiectedby the oil, a hollow oil collector and spacer cap I34 is riveted on the end flange-38 of the spline shaft. leading from the collector or spacer cap I34 into a larger collector E88 located outside of the clutch support 32 is a drain opening I36. By this provision such small quantity of oil that may' seep into the collector or spacer cap i3 is discharged into the external collector E35 which is of ample capacity to take care of all oil seepage at this point.

While the structure illustrated embodies practical adaptation of the invention, it is obvious that considerable modification may be made within the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangements shown in the accompanying drawings.

What is claimed is: I

1. A unitary mechanical assembly for the purpose indicated, comprising a casing, a crank shaft mounted in said casing, a main transmission shaft mounted in the casing in laterally opposed parallel relation to the crank shaft, a tubular spline shaft sleeved to rotate on said main transmission shaft but immovable longitudinally thereof, releasable clutch means interposed between adjacent ends of said main transmission shaft and said spline shaft, a transverse ratio driving connection between said crank shaft and said main transmission'shaft, a driving gear sleeved on said spline shaft and normally free of rotative connection therewith, a unitary stepped multiple idler gear mounted'in the casing to rotate about an axis in parallel relation to the common axis of said main transmission shaft and the spline shaft thereon, one of the stepped portions of said idler gear being constantly in mesh with the driving gear on the spline shaft, and a unitary speed change gear stepped reversely to said idler gear and mounted to slide longitudinally on said spline shaft but rotatable therewith, said speed change gear being of a proportionate length whereby, in one of its positions between the steps of the idler gear not engaged with the driving gear on the spline shaft, to be out of engagement with said idler gear but being shiftable to different positions to alternately engage the stepped portions of said idler gear not engaged by said driving gear and having a clutch portion at its end for direct engagement with a corresponding clutch portion of said driving gear when shifted to another position free of engagement with said idler gear.

2. A mechanism for the purpose indicated, comprising a casing, a crank shaft mounted in said casing, transmission means including a main drive shaft mounted in the casing parallel with and in laterally opposed relation to the crank shaft and having a driving connection therewith, a tubular spline shaft sleeved to rotate on said drive shaft but immovable longitudinally thereof, both of said shafts extending at one end outside of the casing, the projected end portions of said shafts carrying opposed cooperative clutch elements thereon in normal engagement whereby the one shaft is rotated by and with the other, de-

clutching means carried by said main drive shaft for disengaging said clutch elements at the will of the operator, a drive gear sleeved on said spline shaft and normally rotatable independently thereof, and variable speed means for driving said drive gear including a unitary stepped multiple idler gear mounted in the casing to rotate about an axis in parallel relation to the common axisof said main transmission shaft and the of its stepped portions constantly in mesh with the drive gear on the spline shaft, and a unitary speed change gear stepped reversely to said idler gear and mounted to slide longitudinally on said spline shaft but rotatable therewith, said speed change gear being of a proportionate length so as to be positioned neutrally between the stepped portions of said idler gear not engaged directly with said drive gear and being shiftable in opposite directions to different positions whereby to alternately engage the stepped portions of said' idler gear not engaged directly with said drive gear, said speed change gear having clutch provision at its end for direct engagement with cor- I aaaaaoe responding provision on the adjacent end of the drive gear when shifted to another position free of engagement with said idler gear.

3. The mechanism set forth in claim 2 and fur.- ther describing the declutching means as more specifically including an actuator rod extended through an axial bore in the main drive shaft and provided at one end with an operatorelement for engaging one of the clutch elements to disengage the same from the other clutch element and said actuator rod being provided at its opposite end with means for eflecting longitudinal re- "ciprocation of the rod at the will oi the operator. 

